Saga films Jurassic Parkand then those of The world of the Jurassic periodThey are pure fiction, but they also have a lot of science. In the last issue, Jurassic world: RenaissanceScientists want to get a DNA of three great reptiles to get a drug that can treat serious heart diseases. This makes them start an expedition between dinosaurs, which, logically, will not be simple. This is impossible in real life, mainly because you cannot explore In vivo Wipe the animals. Most, your fossils can be studied. But in Using reptiles for drug developmentThe field is actually a medicine, as well -known as Ovorpik This arose precisely from one of these studies.
In the case of Ovorpik, they did not turn to large reptiles of Cretaceous, but to the largest lizard in North America: Gila monster (Heloderm is suspected) This is a poisonous reptile that lives in the south of the United States, In desert areasFor this reason, his body has developed throughout the evolution of a series of adaptations, which have been very useful in recent decades for people with Type 2 diabetes.
It is true that the medicine that was obtained due to the study of the DNA of Monster Gila was not exactly an hut, but his predecessor. Like in Jurassic world rebirthYou just needed to approach the beasts to look for the drug. Although in this case it was something smaller, and I had to request him only in a harmless zoo.
Ovorpik, who was hidden in American deserts
It was 1984 when an endocrine doctor from the University of Toronto, a doctor Daniel DruckerI found a peptide similar to glucagon (LPG-1). This is a hormone that has the ability Control the blood sugar level And, in turn, slow down the stomach. The latter is very useful because Help to expand the feeling of satiety And, with this, it reduces the appetite. Everything is the advantages for patients with diabetes. Consequently, the exogenous administration of this hormone began to be considered for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. If patients did not work properly, they would require reinforcement.
The problem is that it was evident that by introducing an exogenous LPG-1, It broke very quickly In the human body. Therefore, he barely fulfilled his function.
This led to the fact that Drucker himself and other researchers were looking for an alternative. Like many other times, they were made throughout history, they turned their attention to nature, and then the animal attracted its attention.
He Gila Monster He lives in the desert, where sometimes it is difficult for him to find food. Therefore, it has the ability Slow down metabolism Spend a lot of time without food. At that time, he supports stable glucose levels. This would be the perfect option, but how did I achieve success?
A trip to the zoo
To answer this question, Drucker and his team collected a copy of Gila Monster from the zoo and took it to their laboratories. There they presented him to several tests and They took DNA samples This led them to the genome that attracted their attention: Exendin-4The field was codified by the protein, which is associated with the same receiver as LPG-1 and imitates its functions. But with an additional advantage: He did not decompose so quickly.
This conclusion gave rise to a drug baptized as ExatideWhich was approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in 2005. Over time, it was changed, and then improved, which led to another medicine known as Ovorpik. Only the Ovorpik that gives so much, what to talk about today.
The Drucker did not need to make a dangerous expedition, but in a sense he did the same as the main characters The world of the Jurassic period: Renaissance.
Other real cases that may go to Jurassic world rebirth
Reptiles are a huge source of drugs. His blood, his poison and even his saliva They often contain interesting substances that become the object of study in the field of pharmacology. For example, in Asia, traditional medicine for centuries used extracts obtained from reptiles to treat all types of diseases. Thus, campaigns were carried out on the study of diseases that can be treated using some of these extracts. Especially attracts a large number of substances with antitumor force. Unfortunately, they are not a cure for cancer, more than anything, because cancer is not the only disease, but a lot. But they suggest that a good thread to quit. Therefore, in 2022, an overview was carried out by which interesting excerpts in such reptiles as Several types of geckon, crocodiles and varano.
The goal is like in Jurassic world: RenaissanceThis should not sacrifice this mass animal to get the drug. Samples extracted from one copy can give the necessary tips for the synthesis of these drugs in the laboratory. Sometimes, in fact, it is also not necessary to sacrifice one.
The fact is that the nature and animals that surround us are full of solutions for our problems. We do not even need to resort to extinct animals, as in Jurassic world: RenaissanceThe field with what follows between us, there is enough potential. The question, since we are, is that we take care not to extinguish them.
Source: Hiper Textual
